Inspiration

I think one of the most rewarding things we can do is inspire someone else, help them find their passion. When I introduced the idea of beadwork about a month ago to Maria, I really did not expect her to take off with it as she has. Already she has improved a great deal with her skills, so I know she will soon be creating some amazing stuff.

Two weeks ago, Abel and I planned a trip to the city for supplies, not just beads, but also macrame thread for him to start making bracelets and whatever else inspires him as he continues creating. We left on the morning bus (8:00), taking close to 2 hours to get there. The roads are really bad right now after the rainy season. There are many places where the holes in the road are quite large, causing the bus to rock and roll in a serious way!! In some places the cement guards along the edge of the road have been washed away, the edge of the road itself eroding. At times as I watched on the return trip home, sitting in the window seat I was able, unfortunately to see just how severe the damage can be. The drivers are very cautious though and I am learning to trust in them to bring us all safely to our destination. So far so good……

We had lots of time to wander the streets, check out the different stores and treat ourselves to the baked goods and gelato before our scheduled time of 2:30 to return home.

I am still astounded by these murals – their beauty is overwhelming. That they do this quality of work with spray cans, is something I have great trouble comprehending. I watched a video recently of an artist painting a mural in Canada of a singer who was murdered not long ago. It was such a tragedy to hear about this man who died so young. Reading up on him a little made me understand all the more what a waste his death was – he seemed to me a beautiful soul. The mural painted of him was fabulous, absolutely beautiful, the artist/s able to capture his spirit giving meaning to his short life. Watching them use the spray cans to bring his tribute wall to life was very inspiring. I feel these artists have great talent, it is a pleasure to look upon their work.

I took Abel to Taco Bello’s for lunch, my treat. I had not seen Carlos for many months and I had been wondering how he was doing. Also, I confess I missed his cooking :). It was nice to visit with him, especially since he could speak to both Abel and me in our respective languages. Abel had his American style hamburger and I had my usual vegetarian quesadilla plate.

Carlos is a man with a very interesting story, one which I hope to gather more information on with my next visit. I would like to have his permission to tell at least part of it. After a satisfying meal, we were once again off on our shopping adventure, making sure we hadn’t forgotten anything.

It was such an enjoyable day, made all the more so knowing we had a new stash of craft supplies. We were both a bit tired too, shopping in the big city is a very different from the quiet lifestyle we lead on a normal day. The bus was packed on the way back, I was very glad we had purchased our tickets early in the day allowing us to have a seat. There were many standing in the aisle, something I would not wish to do on these winding roads. We had the first 2 seats, which made it much easier to get off, something I was very grateful for also. Trying to work your way down the aisle with your big bags, people tightly packed around you is not fun.

We made our long walk home, the weariness from the long bus ride evaporating, our excitement apparent as we got closer to home and our chance to share what we bought.

We got to work in the next couple of days making macrame bracelets. I thought all the kids would be excited to join us, but it was really just Abel and myself. Maria was working this week, so she did not get started on her jewelry for a few days. She made a lovely set for her daughter, and Javier made a bracelet for their grandchild who was in the hospital having an operation. She is only 3 months old, her operation was for cleft palate. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of all that she made because she worked on it in the evening, the night before they departed for the coast to see daughter and granddaughter. She showed them to me before leaving, but it was a bit of scramble and I did not think to take a photo. She will get her daughter to send a picture for me.

I am not sure what will happen with all that is being made, but I do hope she will find a way to make a small business with it. Maria, Javier and Abel are no longer going to be working here – they leave today. There has been a family quarrel, something I have not been able to understand yet, although I have a pretty good idea, based on my experiences. I am very sad they are leaving, it will not be the same here without their calm and steady presence. They will show me where they are moving to, I hope it is close enough for me to walk for a visit. We had only a few days ago discussed how sad we would be if I was to leave, something I really cannot think about right now. And here they are, forced by circumstances to be the first to go. Change is often difficult for most of us, I am certainly no exception, even though I have had so many major changes in my life. Still I have trouble getting used to leaving those I care about.